Updated: Pro-Palestinian activists block railway line in St-Bruno-de-Montarville

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ST-BRUNO — About thirty pro-Palestinian activists blocked a railway line on Saturday morning in St-Bruno-de-Montarville, in Montérégie, said the Longueuil agglomeration police service (SPAL).

Protesters obstructed the railway at the intersection of Seigneurial and Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier Blvds. from 10 a.m.

In a Facebook post around 1:15 p.m., police said a 31-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man were arrested during the demonstration. The woman faces charges of mischief and the man faces charges of assault and obstructing police officers.

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“During the intervention, four police officers were inconvenienced by pepper spray,” police said. No demonstrators were injured, police said, adding the crowd dispersed.

Then, around 3:30 p.m., police said they had arrested two other people in relation to the demonstration. A 28-year-old man was arrested for obstruction and a 24-year-old woman for assault on a peace officer.

The protesters say in a statement goods are being sent to Israel from Halifax, and by blocking the railway, they have closed “a vital artery for trade between Canada and the Zionist state.”

“The Zionist state could not continue its violent occupation without material support from Western states. All trade with so-called Israel, not just arms exports, supports genocidal violence and must be stopped,” the statement read.

In a video published late Saturday morning on the social networks of Solidarité sans frontières, present at the demonstration, we could see masked demonstrators in the rain.

The group did not want to give a telephone interview to The Canadian Press.

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